Current mobile multimedia devices are typically capable of receiving multi-media content, such as audio and video content, via a communications network which enables the user to listen to and/or view the received content depending on its form. For example, reception and usage of music files is a highly popular feature which is available for various types of portable mobile devices including the Apple iPod® and other brands of MP3 players, Nokia's N93 smart phone, SonyEricksson's walkman phone and laptop computers. Moreover, fixed multimedia devices having a connection to a communications network are also typically capable of receiving audio and video content which enable a user to listen to and/or view such content.
In addition to enabling reception and usage of music files, many mobile multimedia devices are also capable of receiving video and television files and display the video and television content of such files on a screen thereof.
When using mobile devices, the content is typically delivered to each mobile device using communication networks. Alternatively, the content can be delivered to mobile devices via a personal computer or other device having a connection to the communications network when the mobile devices are connected or linked to the personal computer or other device, or the content can be preloaded into the mobile terminal's memory or can be delivered to the mobile terminal via physical means such as memory cards.
The users of the mobile devices often receive the content, in whatever form, for free. At times however, the users must pay for the content. Typically, when a user pays for the content, there is some kind of Digital Rights Management (DRM) arrangement which protects the rights of the copyright owner of the content. In a typical DRM arrangement, the content is protected and delivered as an encrypted package to the user's mobile device. Rights Object (RO) keys are typically delivered separately to the user's mobile device which allow usage of the content based on business rules set in the RO. Additional details about DRM arrangements and RO keys can be found in various trade specifications, such as one designated Open Mobile Alliance OMA-AD-DRM-V2—0-20050908-C, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
When users are able to receive the content for free, there are usually advertisements associated with the content. For example, broadcast television and radio networks provide content to users for free and include periodic advertisements.
Another technique to include advertisements when delivering content to users is a concept referred to as mobile marketing and advertising.
At present, mobile marketing and advertising is mostly based on push campaigns to opt-in a consumer mobile number in a database, or pull campaigns that acquire mobile phone numbers from consumers. The most typical example of the pull campaign is the “text-to-win” campaign where, e.g., a soft drink bottle contains a short code to be sent via text message to a certain telephone number. In return, the consumer receives a notification if they have won with the selected marketing message, or a series of messages is broadcast to their mobile phone. Other popular methods of direct advertisement are achieved using text and video messaging.
Regardless of the manner in which an advertisement is delivered to a user of a mobile device, there is always the issue of the delivery cost. The primary components of the delivery cost are the telecommunication transport cost and the cost of the content. Often, an entity might be willing to sponsor the advertisements but the value of the sponsorship is not sufficient to fully cover both the transport cost and the cost for the content.
In view of issues relating to effective mobile marketing and advertising, such as sponsorship issues, advertisers concentrate their advertising campaigns on media which offers a sufficient number of “eye balls” with a single advertisement campaign, e.g., broadcast television.